Latino Family and Book Festival

So you guys know who Edward James Olmos is right? You know they guy from Stand and Deliver and every other movie about or with Mexicans in them. Well when he is not busy making movies and television he puts together an annual Latino Family and Book Festival. For those of you who don't know my college education is in Chicano Studies. My passions are Chicano art and literature. I had not been to the festival in years so when I heard it was going to be at Cal State LA and that it was FREE I knew I had to convince PR Dad to spend a Saturday there.

As usual it didn't take much convincing. PR Dad is the most agreeable person on the freakin' planet.

We spent a few hours there and had a good time. The Phi got to paint.



They had a kids area where a stage was set and Latino children's book authors read their stories. I was pleasantly surprised to see the name Kathleen Contreras as one of the authors speaking. While in graduate school I took a class with her on Latino children literature. It was a great class and it was nice to see her, say hello and get a warm embrace from a wonderful teacher/author/woman.

After story time we headed to a classroom to listen to one of my favorite authors speak. Victor Villasenor is probably most famous for his book "Rain of Gold" . I heard him speak in Palm Spring last year and was very excited to hear him speak again.

Most of his lecture was the same as last year but still very powerful and inspiring.

The Phi has been asking a lot about college lately. So I was happy that she was going to see a college classroom. I showed her the chairs and the little folding tables that come up so you can take notes. It was cute to see my little 4 year old sitting in a college lecture seat.

About 10 minutes into the lecture I look to my right to check on The Phi and this is what I see....





Yup. Sound asleep. For the entire lecture. Hope this is not a glimpse of the kind of college student I will have on my hands in 14 years!